Is Cybersecurity Really a Need?

That's a good question, isn't it? Part of what makes the need for cybersecurity so hard to understand is that most of us really can't "see" cyber attacks taking place against our network. And since many of these attacks are carried out by people far away from our location, we wonder what real damage they can do. But cyberattacks are real, and we need to be prepared for them to happen.

I liken preparing for cyberattacks to the preparations that each of us make to care for our home, family, or business. For example, in my home my wife and I have implemented a number of procedures and processes to keep our family safe. I've got locks on my doors and windows to keep intruders out. There's a peep hole in our front door so we can see who is on the other side. When our kids were little we practiced fire evacuation procedures. I've got important documents secured against fire, flood, or theft by storing copies in the bank safe deposit box. And finally, my insurance policy allows my family to recover in the event of catastrophe.

I encourage businesses and organizations to take a similar view of the need for cybersecurity. Cyber attacks take place all the time (more on that later), so we need to make appropriate preparations. We need to put virtual 'locks' on our networks to keep intruders out. We need to implement systems to 'see' who is trying to attack and what they are trying to do. Plans and procedures should be in place in the event of cyberattack. Having good data protection plans is important so that our data is preserved. And instituting insurance to allow recovery in the event of a cyber catastrophe is a necessary consideration.

Below are three maps that will help you 'see' cyberattacks going on around the world in real time. As you look at these maps, remember that these same type of attacks are going on against your network right now.

The Digital Attack Map is created by Google. It only highlights the top 2% of reported denial of service attacks going on in the world right now! I liken this type of attack to taking a sledgehammer to a door. These are often a brute-force type of attack.

The Kaspersky Cyberthreat Map is sponsored by the Kaspersky antivirus people. It shows, in real time, the discovery of viruses and malware around the world. Don't be fooled by the appearance of less malware discovery in the United States. Since many people in the US use something other than Kaspersky, it won't show as much activity in the US. Believe me, there's lots of malware in the United States.

The FireEye Attack Map shows very sophisticated types of attacks. Many of these attacks fall under the category of "Advanced Persistent Threat" or APT. These are very hard to detect and remove.

Feel free to contact us if we can help you improve your cybersecurity stance.

Use the tools below to view cyber-attacks around the world in real time.

For best results it is recommended that you view the maps below using Google Chrome.